Hey Now
by melisandre013
Summary: Songfic. ZoroSanji. Warning: Yaoi. Song is Hey Now by Augustana


_Sky black and blue_

_Blue turned to red_

_It's quiet in the streets now_

_It's screaming in your head_

Cannon fire fills the air, its smoke covering the midafternoon skyline. The sun pervades through the bruised sky. Honey rays fall across the deck of a pirate ship where Zoro and Sanji stand- back-to-back. They shield each other against the horrors of battle. Steel covered in blood. Black shoes covered in blood. Around them, the enemy dies. Some die instantly as Zoro slices through their throats. Some die instantly when Sanji's foot collides with their temples. Others die slowly, gurgling their last breaths through the opening in their neck or wheezing against the punctured lung.

Neither Sanji nor Zoro listen to them. Experience has taught them to block out the sounds. The cries that fall are in vain- deaf ears are merciless. Then it's over, and the dead have been tossed into the welcoming, cruel sea. The deck is clear of bodies. And now that the battle is won, they feel pity for those who thought to challenge them. Futility against the fluid, natural death that is Sanji and Zoro.

_I ain't a fool_

_I've got my doubts_

_Say it doesn't hurt_

_Doesn't matter anyhow_

And even though the battle is finished, they stand together. Side by side, not close enough to touch but just close enough that the air between their arms was squashed and confined. A narrow enough space to conduct static electricity. A prickling sensation spreads over their arms. They want to move away from the other. Sanji should never stand this close to Zoro outside of battle. Zoro should never let anyone be near him like this.

But they don't move away. Nor do they move closer. In the silence that follows bloodshed, they share this moment. Memory of togetherness in battle, and a subtle promise that it will happen again. And a quiet question: Could it happen elsewhere?

_Saying hey you're bleeding for nothing_

_It's hard to breathe when you're standing on your own_

_We'll kill ourselves to find freedom_

_You'll kill yourself to find anything at all_

Another day. Another encounter with the enemies. Guns smoke. People bleed. And they aren't standing next to each other. Aren't watching out for the other man. Last time was too close of a call. They hadn't wanted to be so near, or atleast they hadn't wanted to stay so even after things were over.

A gunshot rings out, whizzing past Sanji's ear. A near miss. He lunges at the attacker, foot colliding with face. The man falls, and now Sanji can look around. Man lie dying. Sanji inhales deeply. He sees the swordsman. A smile crosses his lips.

On the other side of the ship, Zoro stands alone. Fallen bodies are strewn around him. He breathes in, and looks up. Across the way, he sees Sanji. Relief, because the cook is okay.

_So lock all the doors_

_And put your child to rest_

_It's quiet in the streets now_

_It's screaming in your head_

He closes the door to the galley. There's no good reason for him to be in here. He just knows it's the only place Zoro won't be. He still remembers what it is like to be near him. He remembers how in the midst of battle, Zoro's skin is hot against his own.

The galley is silent, and the noise from the deck is muted by the walls. He shouldn't be able to hear what Zoro's saying, shouldn't be able to tell from the tone just how the swordsman feels. But he can.

Maybe it's just a memory, but it seems so clear.

_We're passing the time_

_We're breaking apart_

_We're damned at the end_

_We're damned at the start_

Zoro's stalking around the ship. He needs to shake this off, rid himself of the need for physical contact. Physical contact with the cook. That last fight wasn't as fulfilling without the cook beside him. He knows he fights better then. And he knows that he fights for another person. If Zoro isn't careful, he endangers Sanji. The need to protect pumps adrenaline through him at a faster rate than when he fights alone.

Except he wants that same adrenaline without the fight.

_Blame it on the roses_

_Blame it on the red_

_Running out of time_

_Running out of breath_

They aren't meant to be this close outside of battle. But Sanji and Zoro are face to face. With only inches between their bodies, Sanji feels Zoro's breath on his face. And Zoro swears he can hear Sanji's heart beating.

And then they are breaking away from each other. Fleeing from the possibilities that frighten them.

_You say goodbye_

_Every day and night_

_With writing on the walls_

_Everybody's gonna need somebody_

_To take our troubles and our worries and our problems all away_

In the midst of the battle, they search for the other. This time, they refuse to fight alone, knowing that it's better to take the chance to be close than risk losing it all. Everyone attacks them as they struggle to meet. The enemy falls before their need to contact the other. No one can match them. Nobody can overcome the inexplicable feeling they share.

Back-to-back. The battle ends. The two men stand together, and stay as such. Will it happen elsewhere?

_Hey now you're bleeding for nothing_

_It's hard to breathe when you're standing on your own_

_We'll kill ourselves to find freedom_

_You'll kill yourself before_

_You'll kill yourself again_

They seek seclusion. They seek a moment alone- but together. It's hard to renew it, but once they are close, they can't break away again.

_Hey now, hey now, hey now_

_Right now_

Their fingers entwine. Their lips enmesh. And their bodies tangle. This need runs through them. It's fluid electricity in the human body.

_Hey now, hey now, hey now_

_Right now_

Hey now, hey now


End file.
